Air raid sirens were heard across Lublin, eastern Poland, in the early hours of Thursday, July 30, amid reports that a Russian missile may have entered Polish airspace. The incident comes as Russia continues attacks on neighbouring Ukraine.
Reports and social media footage
Videos posted to social media showed the dark sky as the sirens blared. One British tourist shared a clip on X, writing: "3.50am. Sirens going off. As a British tourist this scared the hell out of me." The sirens later stopped and no further alerts were reported.
Official response
Officials have not confirmed whether a missile had entered Polish airspace. However, a spokesperson for the governor of Lublin province, Marcin Bubicz, told WP Wiadomości that authorities had received "credible and confirmed" information from Poland’s Government Security Center about a threat of airstrikes.
Poland, a NATO member, activated protective measures. Its armed forces said on X: "Fighter aircraft and an early warning aircraft have begun operations, while ground-based air defence systems and radar reconnaissance systems have reached a state of readiness." They added that these actions are of a preventive nature.
Ukraine under fire
Air raid alerts also sounded across Ukraine just hours earlier, and Reuters reported explosions in Kyiv.
